Motorless automatic walking doll



Sept. 18, 1956 A. F. STEARNS MOTORLESS AUTOMATIC WALKING DOLL 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 16, 1951 INVENTOR Sept. 18, 1956 A.F. STEARNS MOTORLESS AUTOMATIC WALKING DOLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OriginalFiled Feb 16, 1951 INVENTOR United States Patent 9 'MOTORLESS AUTOMATICWALKING DDLL Albert Frank Stearns, Bioomingtonflll.

Continuation of-application Serial No. 211,360, February '16, '1951.This application May 15, 1953, Serial No. 359,265

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-149) This invention relates to toys'of the walkingtype, and more specifically, to those simulating the human form, and itspurpose is to produce an automatic walking doll which, when held uponits feet and pushed along, will walk in a truly lifelike manner.

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 211, 3'60, filed February16, 195-1, and since abandoned.

For brevity and clearness in this application, the word automatic isused to designate one without a motor, and the word automaton is used todesignate one'with a motor.

To walk in a truly lifelike manner, a walking Jdoll must have 'kneejoints, and to prevent accidental bending of the knees, knee locks.Soitfollows that 'a truly lifelike automatic walking doll to take asingle step, must perform in the order given the following seven acts:first, unlock the knee; second, bend the knee;"third, lift the foot;fourth, move the foot forward faster, relative to the body, than theother foot is receding; "fifth, straighten the knee; sixth, lock theknee,'and seventh and last, let the foot fall to the ground.

The state of development of the prior art is well represented in .thefollowing United States patents: Criest 1,269,056; Armpriester #1397387;Barnes 1,'774,7 85,

and the French patent of Chaix "#753,627.

The doll of Criesthad but .azsingle :automati'c act, it advanced thefoot, but .not faster than the receding-foot, as in life.

Armpriester had what might be termed a two act automatic. It also lackedthe accelerated forward foot movement.

Barnes, while only a one 'act automatic, was the first and onlyautomatic to attain the accelerated forward movement of the advancingfoot.

Chaix represents the highest development of the prior art to the best ofthe applicants knowledge. He has a five act automatic. He does notattain the accelerated forward movement of the advancing foot requiredto perform act four. And there is no provision in the construction toaccomplish act seven.

The rocker device 7 of Criests, the crankshaft as used by Armpriester,and the differential as used by Chaix move the advancing leg in exactlythe same manner. That is at the same speed, relative to the body, as thereceding leg.

To attain a greater similarity to life in both appearance andperformance, and to simplify the construction and cheapen the cost ofmanufacture, the improvements outlined in the accompanying drawings andfollowing specifications have been made.

Of the drawings,

Fig. l is a part front elevation and part section of the doll.

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a plan and elevation of angle bracket6.

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively an elevation and plan of bracket 8.

" 2,763,095 Patented Sept. 18 1956 {Fig 6 is a vertical section of-theleft leg of the doll.

Figures 7 and'8 are respectivelyleft-and'front elevations ofjpinio'ns,ratchets, and the drive disc assembly.

'Fig'uresi9 and 10 are respectively a section and a side elevation ofbearing arm'7.

As shown in the drawings a bracket-8, Figures 4 and 5, is attached asindicated in Fig. ,6, at the front and rear in the pelvic region of ahollow body. Rigidly mounted in bracket 8 by screw 27 arebearings arms 7and 9. Construction of bearing arm 7 is shown in Figs. 9 and i0. Bearingarm 9is of similar construction.

Rotat'a'bly mounted, -horizontally and parallel to the hip axis, in theholes in-the upper ends of these bearing arms 7 and "9, is crankshaft 1.'Rig'idly attached at the ends of crankshaft '1 and at right angles toit, are two cranks, the crank-pin of each equipped with a roller tolessen friction, these cranks being at an angle of to each other.

At the center of crankshaft 1 is'rigidly attached a driving disc 2carrying'two pivotally mounted pawls '11 and 12, which are shown moreclearly in Figs. 7 and 8. Loosely mounted upon crankshaft 1, one on eachside of disc 2, is a combination ratchet wheel and pinion, 3 on thedolls left side and 4 on the dolls right side. These parts are seen moreclearly infFigs. 7 and 8. As indicated in Fig. 7, these ratchet wheelshave but a single tooth or notch each.

In-"Fig. 6, upon an upward extension of the inner thigh member, formingapart of the left leg, fiss'hown gear sector 5, 'having teeth engagingpinion 3. The structure of the right leg is similar. By means of gearsector 5, pinion and ratchet 3, .pawl '11 and disc 2, a backwardoscillation ofthe left leg about the hip axis rotates the crankshaftforward, that is .counterclockwiseas seenfrom the dolls left side. As-thelleft leg is advanced it rotates pinion and ratchet wheel 3 backwardor clockwise, but the action of pawl '11 allows '3 to turnfreelyupon thecrankshaft without interfering with theforward movement of thecrankshaft. The rightleg operates in a similar manner. 'Thus, acontinuous rotary motion of the crankshaft is obtained, through themedium of two gear and ratchet trains actuated by the oscillation of thelegs without a motor. This has not been "accomplished before by thepriorart.

Theperformance of the seven actsrequi-red for a step forward isaccomplished by the simple rotation of the crank pins.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 6, pressure of the crank pin upon linkage10 at different points from the lower curved end to the upper endcontrols all the acts in the proper order. Linkage 10, pivoted at 17 toangle bracket 6, which is attached to the hollow leg, and at 20 toconnecting rod 24, constitutes the knee lock. When pivotal points 23, 20and 17 are in a straight line the leg is extended and held in thatposition, though free to move about the hip joints. A stop pin 25prevents the forward bending of the knee lock beyond the straightposition, and spring 13 prevents accidental unlocking of the knee.

The crank pin, in its circular path, first contacts linkage 10 near itslower end. Pressure there unlocks the knee lock by deflecting the kneelock from its locked position. This bending makes it shorter, pullsupward on double bell crank 26, bends the knee and lifts the foot. Thecrank pin, proceeding, rolls upward along linkage 10. At a point nearpivotal point 17, the pressure of the crank pin forces the leg forward,straightens the knee, locks the knee and when the pin passes beyond theupper end of linkage 10, the leg with the knee locked, is free to rotateabout the hip axis until the foot meets the ground, ready to drive theright leg through a similar construction in a similar manner. Thismethod of advancing the leg has not been used by the prior art.

The accelerated forward movement of the advancing leg is accomplished bya speed-up of the crankshaft. Gear sector has a greater radius thanpinion 3, thuslobtaining a rotation of 180 at the crankshaft, for eachbackward movement of a leg. And the seven acts are accomplished during arotation of the crankshaft through an arc of about 60.

Double or dual knee joints, not shown or claimed before, are used. Theends of the leg members carry at the knee engaging gears 18 and are heldtogether by knee cap 19 and axles and 16. The double bell crank 26provides pivotal points for attachment of connecting rods 24 and 14.This .knee is designed to conform more closely to the human knee inaction and appearance.

A flexible covering 21 closes the opening at the rear of the knee and ashutter 22 closes the opening between the thigh and abdomen. I

Elements 6R, 10R, and 13R are similar to 6, 10 and 13, but relate to theright leg.

Having described my invention, I claim as new:

1. An improved automatic walking doll as described, having incombination in a hollow body and limbs; roughly conforming in shapeand'proportions to the human body, a double throw crankshaft with aroller upon each crank pin and each crank rigidly attached at an end andat right angles to the crankshaft and at an angle of 180 to the other,and rigidly attached to the crankshaft at its center a driving disccarrying, pivotally attached near the periphery of said disk, on adiameter and, disposed 180 apart, one on each side, two pawls, somounted that the free ends trail during the rotation of the crankshaft,and in juxtaposition to the drive disc, one on each side, looselymounted upon the crankshaft, two pinions, each with an integral ratchetwheel having but a single tooth or notch; the crankshaft rotatablymounted in the pelvic region of the hollow body, horizontally disposed;in two bearing arms of similar construction, having at the upper end acylindrical shape with a central hole for the crankshaft end, at thelower end on one side, a cylindrical boss having a centered holeextending through both bearing arms parallel to the crankshaft; toanchor them in position, the contour of the bearing arms between theends being roughly rectilinear; secured in and extending from the innerfront of the pelvic region of the body, downwardly, backwardly andupwardly, roughly in the are of a semicircle, a bracket with holescoaxial with the hip joints, the bosses'of the bearing arms being heldin these holes by a screw through both bearing arms, the upper ends ofthe bracket, each having two tabs, laterally disposed for attachment tothe body; upper leg members having gear teeth formed upon the ends, thegear upon the upper ends engaging said pinions upon the crankshaft toimplement the driving of the crankshaft through the oscillatorymovements of the legs, gear teeth on the lower ends of the leg memberengaging similar gear teeth upon the upper calf member of the leg,thetwo leg members being joined in a double joint, held in properrelationship by a knee cap enclosing the front and sides of the knee,conforming in contour to the shape of the knee, with an axle near'theupper end of the' cap through the cap and upper leg member and an axlenear the lower end of the cap and through it and the lower leg member;centrally fixed upon the axles a double bell crank with a hole below theaxles for attachment to a connecting rod to control a movable foot and ahole above the axles for attachment to a knee lock composed of astraight connecting rod and a linkage attached pivotally to an anglebracket secured to' the upper inner and rear portion of the leg; thelinkage being, of flat, elongated rectangular shape with a curved end,and hav-v ing disposed near the middle along the longer axis, two holes,the upper hole for pivotal attachment to said angle bracket and thelower hole for pivotal attachment to the said connecting rod joined tothe bell crank.

2. An automatic walking doll as described, constituting a bipedalwalking toy, having in a hollow body a crankshaft horizontally disposedparallel to the hip axis and having gear and ratchet trains tocontinuously drive the crank-shaft by the oscillation of the legs. I

3'. An automatic walking doll as described, constituting a bipedalwalking'toy, having a hollow body and legs whose thigh and calf membershave gears formed upon the ends which meet at the knees, the gears beingheld in mesh with each other by means of a cap pivoted to the thighmember by one pin and to the calf member by another pin, to form adouble knee joint with two points of fiexure.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Men.

